Theologian · Academic Dean

Michael M. C.
Reardon.

Academic Dean and Professor of New Testament and Historical Theology at Canada Christian College. Executive Director of the Eckstein Institute for Jewish–Christian Relations.

Ph.D., University of Toronto

Dr. Michael M.C. Reardon

About

A theme in Paul's writings
he calls
“ecclesial deification.”

Michael M. C. Reardon (PhD, University of Toronto) is academic dean and professor of New Testament and historical theology at Canada Christian College and School of Theological Studies in Whitby, Ontario. He is also the executive director of the Eckstein Institute for Jewish–Christian Relations, an academic think‑tank funded by multiple grants. Michael is the co‑editor of Transformed into the Same Image: Constructive Investigations into the Doctrine of Deification (2024), The Seed of Abraham: Intersections of Jewish and Christian Thought (2025), and the author of several articles. He currently is working on a manuscript which investigates a theme in Paul's writings which he calls “ecclesial deification.”

While staying busy, Michael is always open to new collaborative projects, institutional partnerships, cross‑disciplinary research initiatives, and networking opportunities.

Transformed into the Same Image — book cover

Published Book · 2024

Transformed into the Same Image

Constructive Investigations into the Doctrine of Deification

The doctrine of deification or theosis has been gaining interest among scholars for some time. Yet most publications on the topic have focused on Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions and have subsumed the discussion under the category of soteriology. If “being transformed into the same image” (2 Corinthians 3:18) is truly essential to the Christian life, a fuller understanding of this biblical concept is needed for Christians of all traditions.

Edited by Paul Copan and Michael M. C. Reardon. Foreword by Michael J. Gorman. InterVarsity Academic, 2024
The Seed of Abraham — book cover

Published Book · 2025

The Seed of Abraham

Intersections of Jewish and Christian Thought

Edited by Michael M. C. Reardon and Rabbi Pesach Wolicki, with Gerald R. McDermott.

The volume brings the two faiths into fruitful and productive dialogue by unearthing recondite, yet highly significant features shared between them, with the aspiration to bridge the gap between Jews and Christians, and to chart a path forward toward rapprochement, reconciliation, and Jewish–Christian unity.

Edited by Michael M. C. Reardon and Rabbi Pesach Wolicki. Pickwick Publications, 2025

Articles

Published research.

Horizons · Cambridge University Press

“You Adore a God Who Makes You Gods”: Augustine's Doctrine of Deification

Twentieth‑century theologians advanced a consensus position that the doctrine of deification was alien to Augustine's theology — even impossible to square with his other commitments — and that even if traces of the doctrine could be detected, they were, at best, of marginal importance to his intellectual topography. This position, however, has been persuasively challenged by several investigations during the past three decades. This article builds upon these latter investigations to demonstrate how the notion of deification is prevalent throughout his corpus — whether linguistically evident by his use of technical terms such as deificare and cognates, or more often, conceptually in his reflections upon anthropology, Christology, and ecclesiology. The article concludes by noting two of Augustine's distinctive contributions to the post‑Nicene development of deification — that is, an emphasis upon the sacramental and ecclesiological contours of the doctrine.

Currents in Biblical Research · SAGE

Becoming god: Interpreting Pauline soteriology as deification

In the past five decades, the doctrine of deification has experienced a renaissance within the Protestant West. While biblical scholars have exhibited greater reticence to ascribe explicitly deiform intentions to Scripture than their theologian counterparts, this article traces the recent emergence of interest in interpreting Pauline soteriology as deification. Intriguingly, scholars within this burgeoning line of inquiry of scholarship represent a host of interpretative schools (e.g. apocalyptic, new perspective on Paul) and methodological approaches (exegetical, history‑of‑religion, reception history, theological interpretation), yet nevertheless affirm broadly similar portrayals of the deiform contours and content of Paul's doctrine of salvation.

Journal of Theological Studies · 2025 · Forthcoming

Essence and Economy: Introducing Witness Lee's Understanding of the Trinity

Toronto Sun · Opinion

Here's why anti‑Zionism is anti‑Semitism

The modern State of Israel is a remarkable triumph, forged from millennia of existential tests. Yet, of the pernicious tropes spawning from our political extremes, the most egregious is the conferral of “white settler” status upon Jews — an indigenous people defined both by religion and by multi‑ethnic identity.

You adore a God who makes you gods.

Title of Reardon's article in Horizons, Cambridge University Press

Videos

Podcast appearances.

The Remnant Radio

Do Christians become Gods? Explaining Theosis with Michael Reardon

What does it mean to be a partaker of the divine nature? What does it mean to have the life of Jesus manifest in our bodies? What does it mean to grow up into mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ? Well, the ancient church called it Theosis. In short, theosis is the deification of the Church. But in what way and to what end is the church deified? As an evangelical protestant, hearing the phrase “deification” causes an involuntary Gag reflex deep within me. However, after a good bit of study, I don't think the doctrine of “sanctification” is sufficient to express all that Christ has provided for us. There may be something in the doctrine of theosis that evangelical protestants may want to rediscover.

In this episode, my new friend Michael Reardon is with us to discuss the doctrine of Theosis, with a special emphasis on Ecclesiological Theosis. Michael is the Professor of Biblical Languages and Religious Thought at Canada Christian College in Ontario. I had the privilege of sitting in on Michael's presentation at ETS this year and thought he would be great to have on the show.

The Remnant Radio

What Is Theosis? Michael Reardon Explains The Doctrine Of Theosis

The Remnant Radio

The Life Of Count Zinzendorf: Interview With Dr. Michael Reardon

Paper Presentations

71st Annual Meeting of the ETS.

A talk from the complete recordings of the 71st Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS), Nov. 20–22, 2019, held in San Diego, CA, with the theme: “Christ in all Scripture.” The conference features: G. K. Beale, Jeannine K. Brown, Stephen Wellum, as well as Mark Bailey, Michael Kruger, and J.P. Moreland in plenary sessions.

Connect With Me

Always open to new collaborative projects, institutional partnerships, cross‑disciplinary research initiatives, and networking opportunities.

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